


I'd Catch a Grenade for You

by niesbixby



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dorks in Love, Explicit Language, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Howling Commandos - Freeform, Humor, Love Confessions, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Peggy is so done, Peggy takes matters into her own hands, The Grenade Incident, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 10:32:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3688929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niesbixby/pseuds/niesbixby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy tells Bucky about the Grenade Incident.</p>
<p>Bucky is not pleased.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'd Catch a Grenade for You

Bucky grinned across the campfire at Peggy. “So,” he said, “You must have had fun with him at training camp. Before or after the serum?”

She returned the smile. “Before. And let me tell you, it was quite an interesting time.”

Steve laughed, a little uncomfortably. “Come on, guys, do we really have to go into my training camp horror stories? All the guys there outweighed me by a good 80 pounds at least.”

Bucky ignored him. “Did you have to pull him out of any scrapes? I swear, the guy’s like a Chihuahua with anger management issues. When we were back in New York, he must have got in a fight every other day, at least.”

“No fights that I heard about, although I feel obligated to tell you about the Incident, seeing as you are his best friend.”

He quirked an eyebrow, ignoring Steve’s momentary look of absolute, utter panic. “Oh? Do tell.”

***

Peggy gestured with her hands to demonstrate. “And so he leaps onto the grenade and starts shouting at us all to get back, get out of the way. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” she said, and smiled fondly at Steve. “It was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen.”

Bucky felt all his muscles going absolutely still. His previously jovial expression flattened and hardened as he turned to Steve, who was resolutely not looking at him, staring straight ahead, across the campfire. “You did what?” he hissed.  
***  
“Oh, come on, Buck,” Steve protested, flinging his hands up. “It wasn’t even half as bad as Peggy made it out.”

Bucky stood, wagging a finger in his face. “I don’t care, you stupid asshole! How many times do I have to tell you to be careful? No, fuck that. I told you to stay home, and you went and let a bunch of crazy scientists full of chemicals, and to make things even better, you went and jumped on what you thought was a live grenade! What do I need to do, get a leash?”

Steve stood as well. “You know as well as I do that all I wanted to do was try and help. Why is that so hard for you to understand?” They were both shouting now, and Bucky was sure that if anyone else was in a mile’s radius, they would hear the argument. Not that it even mattered.

“You can’t help anyone if you get yourself killed, dumbass,” he retorted.

“I don’t care if I die, if it’ll help someone else.”

Bucky felt himself starting to panic. “Oh, no. I absolutely refuse to let you die, Steve. I swear to god, if I have to get you sent home tomorrow, I’ll fucking do it.”

Steve threw up his arms. “Why do you even care?”

“Because I love you, you crazy bastard!” he roared. Steve’s entire face went slack, and Bucky realized what he’d said. He turned around and stomped off, muttering things like, “Stupid bastard,” and “See if someone else’ll care” under his breath.  
***  
Things got a little awkward after that.  
***  
Two days later, Bucky found himself staring into the bottom of a glass of whiskey at a bar somewhere in France when Peggy Carter slid into the seat beside him. She flagged down the bartender and said, “I’ll have what he’s having,” gestured at Bucky, and quirked an eyebrow. The man scurried away, and Bucky turned his head to look at her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Well,” Peggy started brightly. “I’m certainly not here to watch you make a complete ass of yourself over Steve because you think he doesn’t care about you, so we should probably start with that.”

“What?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, for the love of god, Barnes. Do try and keep up. You and Steve? You know, the one with the shield and the spangly suit?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he snapped. “I think I know who my own best friend is, thanks.”

“Best friend? Is that all?” Bucky was silent. The corner of Peggy’s mouth quirked upwards into a sort of half grin. “Ah, I knew there was something going on there. The two of you haven’t spoken in several days, have you?”

“I don’t see what business it is of yours,” he grumbed.

The bartender returned with Peggy’s whiskey. “Ah, thank you,” she said, then focused back on him. “It’s certainly my business if no one can get anything done because you two are fighting.” Peggy smiled pityingly at him. “The two of you should talk. It’ll make it easier for everyone.”

“Everyone?” he said. “Won’t make it any easier for me, or Stevie. Two guys shacking up’d never work.”

“You’d be surprised,” Peggy commented. She took a sip of her whiskey and grimaced appreciatively. “I’m only telling you this because you seem like a good man, and well, Steve’s been a bit difficult to deal with these past two days.”

“Has he now?” Bucky almost laughed. Steve was a terror when he was upset about something, he knew this all too well. “What’s he been doing?”

“Oh, just the usual, snapping at the officers, making missions difficult. Generally making my life hell.” She finished off her whiskey and stood. “You should talk to him, Sergeant.”

***

Bucky does not talk to Steve. He does, however, request a transfer to another unit because dammit, he’s a grown man and he’s allowed to run away from his own problems if he damn well wants to.

Which would explain rather neatly why, two hours after he turned in his transfer form, an irate Steve Rogers appeared outside his tent, shouting and demanding to be let in. Bucky wearily opened the flap of his tent and stared at him. “What?” he asked. “What do you want?”

Steve shook what he recognized as his own transfer form at him.

Oh. 

“What is this?” Steve demanded.

Bucky attempted to appear nonchalant. “Jesus, Steve, I know you know how to read.”

“That doesn’t answer the question, jerk. Why do you want to transfer?”

“Personal reasons.”

Steve wasn’t amused. “James Barnes, you talk to me right this minute.”

Bucky winced and raised a hand to his forehead. “Don’t call me that, please. I really hate it when people call me that.”

“Then talk to me, dammit,” Steve snapped. “Or I swear to god, I’ll be in here all night.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, sure, give the people more of an excuse to talk. Why not? They already know I’m in love with you, idiot, I could get court marshaled for this, but oh, no, let’s torture the guy some more, that makes total sense.”

Steve looked at him for a moment, clearly trying to puzzle out what he had said. He tilted his head to the side. “Wait. You want to transfer because you think I don’t like you?”

“Well, no, obviously I know you like me, we’re best friends, what the hell, Steve?”

Steve shook his head and a slow smile spread across his face. “When’d you ever get the idea I don’t feel the same way about you?”

Which was just-“What?” Bucky sputtered.

He took a step in closer and suddenly they were kissing and people were staring but Bucky couldn’t bring himself to care because this was the best thing he’d ever felt in his entire life and if he got court marshaled, well, it would be worth it all.

***

Bucky doesn’t get court marshaled. He strongly suspects that Peggy had something to do with it.

**Author's Note:**

> It's Easter and look who's writing terrible gay fanfiction.


End file.
